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Post-Election Blues, Reform’s Rise, and Labour’s Messaging Meltdown
47:09|British politics post-local elections resembles less a democracy in action and more a therapy session with occasional shouting. In this episode of Mid-Atlantic, the panel tears into the latest electoral results, with Reform UK bulldozing their way through local councils, Labour sleepwalking through governance, and the Tories doing their best impression of a political hospice.Dave Smith kicks things off with a cold, hard look at Reform UK’s momentum. With council control and a surprise mayoral win in Lincolnshire, Reform is no longer on the fringes. Smith calls them a “galvanising force for the working class,” prompting an awkward reckoning from the left. Labour, once the natural home for these voters, is now seen as distant, managerial, and uninspiring. Steve O’Neill admits his past support for Labour’s “do nothing and hope” Ming vase strategy was misplaced—an understatement.Tonye Altrade and Leah Brown grapple with Labour’s post-landslide hangover. Starmer’s white paper on immigration is dissected not just for its policies but for the gaping hole where vision should be. It's tough to sell a national direction when no one can tell what lane you’re driving in. Leah Brown underlines the real crisis: Labour may be governing, but Reform is winning the emotional war by peddling a message of hope, however dubious the details.The Tories, according to Brown, are in survival mode. Talk of new leadership is already swirling, with Kemi Badenoch eyed as the phoenix to rise from electoral ashes. But internal division and reformist flirtations risk turning the party into political mulch. Meanwhile, the Lib Dems are cheerfully slicing up the Tory carcass in the South West and beyond. Steve O’Neill calls it “vibes-based campaigning,” and frankly, it's working. While Reform is tapping into disillusionment and Labour fumbles the bag it just won, the Lib Dems are slowly, quietly positioning themselves as the adults in the room—if only anyone knew who Ed Davey was.5 Quotes from the Episode“It's still like being crowned the tallest dwarf.” – on Lib Dems’ electoral wins.“Populism doesn’t equate to good governance.” – Leah Brown“Labour basically ran on being ‘not the Tories’. Now Reform is running on being ‘not Labour’.” – Dave Smith“Starmer behind a lectern won't fix Britain's sinking ship. He needs to be laying bricks on a building site.” – Royfield Brown“We knew what the last Tory government said it stood for. I have no idea what this one does.” – Steve O’Neill
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Canada Votes 2025 – A Maple-Syrup-Soaked Middle Finger to Trumpism
38:31|In this post-election special of Mid-Atlantic, host Roifield Brown and Canadian political analyst Adam Schaan break down what might be the most consequential Canadian election in recent memory—not just for the results, but for what they signal about the country’s identity. In a week where Donald Trump’s bombastic threats of annexation echoed from below the 49th parallel, Canada’s electorate responded with an unmistakable rejection of populist rhetoric, economic fearmongering, and American political toxicity.Mark Carney’s Liberal Party managed to claw its way back into minority power, with 169 seats and 43.7% of the vote, largely thanks to a generational divide and the NDP’s collapse. While Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives posted their strongest popular vote showing since 1988, a loss of his own riding and a perception problem with key demographics (read: older voters and women) left the party licking its wounds. The NDP, Greens, and Bloc all bled support, caught in the crossfire of a campaign where sovereignty and survival overshadowed ideology.Adam Schaan, fueled by cigarettes and sheer political obsession, paints a picture of a fractured federation temporarily glued together by a fear of becoming the 51st state. Whether unity can hold, and whether Carney truly walks the walk of humility and coalition-building, remains to be seen. But one thing’s clear: Canada is reasserting its independence not with sabres, but with ballots.Executive Overreach and Rightwing Realignments
48:12|In Washington, a rare flicker of institutional resistance is lighting up the political gloom. As the Supreme Court sides 7-2 against mass deportations and Harvard takes legal aim at executive power, Roifield Brown and his panel ask the awkward but necessary question: Is the American Republic finally growing a spine? Panelists Denise Hamilton and Mike Donahue agree that while Trump’s pressure tactics aren’t new, the scale of legal and educational defiance certainly is. Meanwhile, they also highlight the existential threat: America’s fragmented information ecosystems mean citizens no longer even start from the same facts, making any comeback for democratic norms a grinding uphill struggle.Across the Atlantic, a different kind of existential crisis unfolds. Robert Jenrick, already measuring the curtains for Tory leadership, hints at a tactical realignment between the Conservative Party and Reform UK. Cory Bernard and Steve O’Neill dissect the fine line between electoral pragmatism and political self-destruction. They warn that while Britain’s political history favours the Conservative Party's survival, wealth inequality and voter volatility could easily tear up the rulebook. Roy Field, clearly unimpressed by complacency, reminds everyone that assuming Britain’s institutions are immune to collapse is dangerously naive.The panel closes with a lighter moment: each guest picks a hometown hero worthy of a street name. Harriet Tubman, Jackie Robinson, and Clement Attlee are among the choices, though Steve O’Neill’s initial bid for "Roger Federer Street" suggests some people should stay away from naming contests. Throughout the episode, the tone is bracing: whether it's executive overreach in the U.S. or far-right drift in the U.K., democracy’s defenders will need a lot more than nostalgia and wishful thinking to hold the line.5 Selected Quotes:“I think what we're seeing is a stiffening of the spine and a bigger commitment to holding up our institutions.” — Denise Hamilton“It’s not left versus right anymore — it’s institutions versus chaos.” — Roifield Brown“You can't rationalize with people who aren't working with the same facts.” — Mike Donahue“Britain's political history doesn't guarantee immunity from collapse.” — Roifield Brown“One street at a time, we still get to choose who we celebrate.” — Denise HamiltonThe Tariff Tantrum, Trump and the End of Brand America
53:06|This week on Mid-Atlantic, Roifield Brown hosts a packed panel to break down Donald Trump's latest economic gamble: a 10% blanket import tariff and steeper levies on select countries, with China squarely in the crosshairs. The result? Global market chaos, retaliatory threats, and international alarm bells over the US’s role in the rules-based economic order.Joining from across the Atlantic and the US are Logan Phillips in D.C., Michael Donahue in L.A., and Cory Bernard in Manchester. The panel weighs whether the tariff plan is part of a coherent economic strategy or just political theatre aimed at riling up Trump's base — spoiler: coherence is not in attendance. More than just a trade war, this marks a serious erosion of trust in the US as a trading partner. The dollar might be strong, but America's brand value? Not so much.The second half turns sharply towards the UK's options in a world where the US is a geopolitical liability. Roifield pitches a Commonwealth-centric economic bloc as a post-Brexit survival strategy — cue a full-on diplomatic skirmish. What follows is a clash of economic realism, nostalgia, and pride as the panel debates whether Britain should grovel, realign, or get louder. Yes, tempers flare. And yes, someone gets called Neville Chamberlain.Five Standout Quotes:“This was not Team Trump’s best moment. It’s like trying to put out a fire with gasoline.” – Logan Phillips“If you know tariffs are coming and then vanishing, there’s billions to be made — and lost. That’s terrifying.” – Michael Donahue“Brand America just took a six-trillion-dollar hit. But it’s the trust deficit that really stings.” – Roifield Brown“Trump won’t lose his base until their wallets feel it. If they can’t feed their families, that’s the break.” – Cory Bernard“I’m not giving away the Sudetenland — I’m trying to build a coalition against economic lunacy.” – Roifield BrownSignal Failure, Leaks, Bombs, and Budget Cuts
46:41|This week’s Mid-Atlantic felt like reading classified memos in the group chat, except the group chat accidentally included a journalist and the memos were about bombing Yemen. Host Roifield Brown and his panel of sharp minds, Aram Fischer in Oakland, Denise Hamilton in Houston, Steve O’Neill in London, and Leah Brown in Broadstairs, looked at two transatlantic absurdities: national security leaks from Team Trump 2.0, and a British Labour government budgeting like it’s still 2010.In the US, cabinet officials used Signal to discuss military strikes in Yemen, adding a reporter to the chat by mistake. The conversation quickly turned from emoji-filled incompetence to existential dread. Denise Hamilton called it what it is: “a cabinet of convenience and fealty,” while Aram Fischer reminded us that when the “vibes” run the state, reality bites hard. Bombs fell, 53 people died, and somehow no one resigned.Across the pond, Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered a Spring Budget that sounds progressive until you read it. Welfare cuts, frozen benefits, and a forecast of a quarter-million more people—including 50,000 children—falling into poverty. All while wealth remains virtually untaxed. The panel didn’t hold back. “Tories in all but name,” Roifield declared, with Steve admitting he didn’t vote Labour to get austerity rebranded with a red rosette.Takeaway: If this episode had a moral, it’s this: Government by vibes kills. And Labour’s soft technocracy might just be Tories on mute.5 Pull Quotes:“This is not a cabinet of excellence. This is a cabinet of convenience and fealty.” – Denise Hamilton“They added a journalist to the Signal thread and thought, ‘Eh, it’s fine.’ That’s where we’re at.” – Aram Fischer“Nothing really matters as long as the vibes are right.” – Aram Fischer, summarising MAGA foreign policy“Labour’s playing a long game with no message. That’s a strategy with a short shelf life.” – Leah Brown“You knew what the Tories stood for. I’ve got no idea what this lot stand for.” – Roifield BrownCanada Under Siege? The Trump Trade War and a Resurgent Liberal Party
45:43|Mark Carney is Canada’s new prime minister, the Liberals are surging in the polls, and the country is locked in an escalating trade war with its unpredictable southern neighbour. At the centre of it all? Donald Trump. Since returning to the White House, Trump has hit Canada with aggressive tariffs and even floated the outrageous idea of annexation. The result? A nationalist backlash, a boycott of U.S. goods, and a shifting political landscape that could redefine Canada’s future.Roifield Brown is joined by media strategist Laura Babcock and political analyst Adam Schaan to unpack what Carney’s leadership means for Canada and whether Pierre Poilievre, Canada’s own mini-Trump, can survive the fallout. Has Trump inadvertently handed the Liberals a lifeline? Will Canada turn further toward Europe as America becomes an unreliable partner? And is this trade war just a symptom of a much deeper ideological battle?Five Notable Quotes from the Episode:“We are in a propaganda war with our southern neighbors, and they are trying to get us to question our own democracy.” – Laura Babcock“This election won’t be about facts—it will be fueled by emotions, and right now, Canadians feel under siege.” – Adam Schaan“Trump didn’t think this through. He needs Canada’s resources far more than Canada needs his nonsense.” – Roifield Brown“If Trump can do this to Canada, what’s stopping him from doing it to any other ally?” – Laura Babcock“If Poilievre can’t secure a majority, his leadership will be on borrowed time.” – Adam SchaanFurther Reading & Resources:The Times UK: “Mark Carney Must Beat Canada’s Mini-Trump”Toronto Star: “Canada’s Elbows-Up Response to Trump’s Trade War”CBC: “How Canada’s Trade Strategy is Shifting Amid U.S. Tensions”For more, follow @LauraBabcock and @AdamK on social media, and don’t forget to subscribe to Mid-Atlantic for the latest political analysis from both sides of the pond.Kash Patel, Trump 2.0, and Britain's Identity Crisis
01:00:39|On this episode of Mid Atlantic, host Roifield Brown, broadcasting from sunny Oakland, takes on a transatlantic feast of political intrigue with guests Aram Fischer, Cory Bernard, Denise Hamilton, and Mike Donahue.In the U.S., Kash Patel’s confirmation as FBI director raises alarm bells about the erosion of institutional integrity. Denise calls it “catastrophic,” while Aram points out the grim normalization of political weaponization. The panel digs into Robert F. Kennedy’s new role as health secretary, questioning what it means for evidence-based policy when a vaccine skeptic helms public health. Trump 2.0 looms large, with concerns about transactional diplomacy in Ukraine and a revamped "America First" agenda that feels all too familiar.Across the pond, the UK's proposed youth mobility scheme sparks debate. Cory argues it’s a pragmatic fix for Brexit’s labor shortages, but Mike warns of political skittishness. Nigel Farage’s departure from Reform UK has mixed implications—could his influence truly wane? Kemi Badenoch’s warnings of Western decline also come under the microscope, with the panel parsing whether this is a genuine call to unity or a veiled push against multiculturalism.Notable Quotes:“We need these institutions to work, and they are being compromised from the inside out.” — Denise Hamilton“It’s a hostile takeover of government, plain and simple.” — Aram Fischer“If you think the park ranger was keeping you from living your best life, maybe reevaluate.” — Denise Hamilton“Farage knows how to speak to regular people, but that doesn’t mean he’s good for them.” — Mike Donahue“We need someone to present a vision of Britishness that feels real—not just a reactionary echo.” — Cory Bernard